$10,000 PRIZE: Chilkat Valley institution recognized for serving its community with limited means.
HAINES -- There isn't a small-town library in the country that does a better job serving its community than the Haines Borough Public Library. That's what judges for Library Journal decided in naming the Haines library the best small library in America for 2005.
The award, co-sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, carries with it a $10,000 prize and a measure of prestige. Nearly 150 communities across the country with populations up to 25,000 competed for the title.
"We created the Best Small Library in America Award to recognize the achievements of libraries in small communities with limited means but the greatest of success," Library Journal editor John Berry III said. "The Haines Borough Public Library is a clear winner for its steady progress, commitment to community and excellent services."
Haines was chosen based on a wide range of criteria, including growth in usage, community support, development of innovative programs, partnerships with other organizations and use of technology to expand services.
The local library's expertise in these areas is highlighted in a four-page cover story in the February edition of Library Journal, a professional publication with more than 100,000 readers.
Berry, who wrote the piece "The Library Haines Built," described "impressive" circulation statistics that show 67,000 visits annually from seasonal workers, tourists and year-round residents in a valley with a population of only 2,600. The library was founded in 1928.
More than 112,000 items were checked out last year and 28,000 computer sessions logged -- a 70 percent increase in Web usage over the previous year. Circulation has increased 77 percent during the last five years, 27 percent last year alone.
Use of the library as a community center has also grown, with 78 different groups holding nearly 350 events in the facility, from wedding receptions to public meetings, last year.
"The consensus of our staff and board is that in a small community where resources and opportunities are limited, it is important that the library is there for everybody," library director Ann Myren is quoted as saying in the journal article.
The library's Dragonfly Project, which trains teenagers to work as technology mentors, is cited as an example of Haines' exemplary collaborative efforts.
The mentoring program, developed with support from the Chilkoot Indian Association, has been so successful that it's been adopted by other rural communities in the state.
"Communities all around Alaska look to Haines to see what is possible in remote towns with limited infrastructure and population," wrote George Smith, acting director of the state Division of Libraries, in a letter recommending Haines for the award.
Myren credits community collaboration for the facility's success.
"This award is all about Haines and what we can do when everyone works together," she said.
Liz Heywood, president of the library board, agreed: "It's our excellent staff, from the paid employees to the volunteers who do all the different jobs, from shoveling the sidewalks to shelving books."
The timing couldn't have been better, she said, with Myren set to retire this year after 20 years with the library.
"It is a great honor and pretty neat that it came in Ann's last year. ... The whole town should be proud and pat itself on the back."
Martha Chloe, director of the Gates Foundation's global libraries program, said she hopes the attention pays off with continued support. The Haines library is a "community gem," she said.
"We hope the broader community -- local and state government, business and others -- will see the value of this library and will support it substantially."
Heywood said the national attention is thrilling, in part because it is so far from the library board's usual focus.
"It wasn't our goal to be the best library in America but to be the best library we can for the community of Haines," she said.
